Seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed in what appeared to be an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Monday, a non-governmental organization said.
When the World Central Kitchen (WCK) strike broke out, workers were leaving a warehouse in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and driving through a “free conflict zone” in two armored vehicles. . Said.
The NGO, founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, was working in war-torn Gaza, where more than a million people have run out of food and are suffering from devastating hunger. According to the United Nations.
WCK said the seven charity workers had delivered more than 100 tons of food aid to the warehouse shortly before the incident, and had coordinated the move with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in advance.
Those killed in the attack were from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Palestine, and one person was a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
The Associated Press reported that it could not independently confirm the origin of the strike. IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said the military has opened an investigation to investigate the incident.
“We are reviewing the incident at the highest level to understand what happened and how it happened,” Hagari said in a video message Tuesday.
“The world of WCK matters. They are the front lines of humanity. We intend to get to the bottom of this matter and share the transparency of our findings,” he added.
Andres said he was “heartbroken” after the airstrike and called on the Israeli government to stop what he called “indiscriminate killings”.
“I am heartbroken and saddened by their family and friends and our entire WCK family,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“They are not faceless… They are not nameless. The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. End restrictions on humanitarian aid and stop the killing of civilians and aid workers. “We need to stop and stop using food as a weapon,” he later added. No more innocent lives will be lost. Peace begins with our shared humanity. You have to start now. ”
World Central Kitchen, which operates in countries dealing with wars and natural disasters, said it would immediately suspend operations in the area and “determine future operations soon.”
“This is not just an attack on WCK, but an attack on humanitarian organizations in the most dire situations where food is used as a weapon of war. This is unacceptable,” CEO Erin Gore said in a statement. Ta.
The war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas has been raging for nearly six months since Hamas’ surprise invasion of southern Israel on October 7th. Hamas attacks have killed 1,200 people in Israel and taken about 250 hostages.
About 100 of those hostages were returned during a week-long ceasefire late last year, and an estimated 100 others are believed to still be alive in Gaza.
Israel quickly launched a military operation in October to destroy Hamas, the US-designated terrorist organization that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Israeli air strikes on Gaza have killed more than 32,700 people since early October. The Associated Press pointed out.
National Security Council spokesman Adrian Watson said he was “deeply troubled” by Monday’s strike.
“Humanitarian aid workers providing desperately needed aid must be protected. We call on Israel to swiftly investigate what happened,” she said. Ta. I have written With X.
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